Electric connecter



ct.` l5; 1929.

c. FISCHER ELECTRIC CONNECTER l Filed June 4, 1927' 3 Sheets-Sheet l ...ill ....IIII

l. c. FISCHER d1,731,893

ELETRG ONNEJTEH Files; Jun@ 4m. i921' n shams-smet 2 INVENTUM.'-

llrltll v m5 5 c fw w 'Patented Oct. 1.5, 1929 PATENT OFFICE CARL FISCHER, Oli' WEST HOMEBTEA-D, :PIENNSYLVANLAR ELECTRIC CONNECTER Application led June 4, 1927. Serial No. 196,571.

My invention is an improvement in con necters for electric current conductors, and

relates more especially to that particular type commonly known as a plug connectlon comprising plug and socket members fitting one within the other for the purpose of carrying the current through the connecter.

My invention contemplates an electric connection of this general type in which the plug operates in conjunction with the socket to controla make and break device or switch whereby in the present instance the connection is vnot completed for the passage of the current until the plug member is seated in the socket member, and likewise the circuit is broken by the connecter before the plug is withdrawn, thereby obviating any danger of shock to the operator by accidental contact or carrying of the current through the connecter prematurely.

A further object of my inventionis to provide an electric connecter for carrying currents of any required capacity which will be not only entirely safe in the manipulation of the members thereof but also rovide that the manipulation may be eifecte quickly and positively. y

A `further object of my invention is to provide an electric connecter of this `char acter which will be gas and water proof.

Other objects and advantages of my invention, as well as its adaptability to various electric current make and break de vices, will hereinafter appear, and what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters-Patent is more particularly set forthv in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fi re 1 is an elevationvillustrating the application of my. improved electric connecter in connection with a conventional form of knifeswitch.

Fi 2 is a plan view thereof, a part of the switc -box being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the connecter with the members thereof assembled for 'car ing the current. y

Fig, 4 is an e evation with the members of the connecter separated, the socket member being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the socket-member.

Figi 6 is a plan view of the socket-member,

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the plug-member, and y Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view through the plug-member on the line 8--8 of Fig. 7. l

In the'drawings I have shown my improved electric. connecter as adapted for the operation of an ordinary Vform of 4electric current make and break device or knifeswitch in "which the socket-member A to .receive the companion plug-member B is mounted on the switch-box 10, for which purpose said socket-member is provided with' short base-fiangcs 11 to receive the screws 12 for attachin the same to the top of the switch-box. T e switch consists as usual of the pair of blades 13 pivoted at one end in' standards 14 and closing at their outer ends betweenthe contact-plates 15 arranged in pairs to receive the blades respectively, said standards Aand contact-plates being mounted on a plate 16 of insulation material and provided with binding-posts 17 and 18 to which the insulated Wires 19 and 20 are connected for conducting the electric current to and from the switch. The blades are connected together for operation in umson by a cross-bar 21 secured thereto in the usual manner by clamps 22, riveted to the blades as shown in the drawings, and' said crossbar is engaged for operating the blades by a slotted link 23 connected to the meetf ing ends of spring-'actuated rods 24 and 25 supported at their outer ends in brackets 26 depending from the top of the vswitch-box, each rod being actuated by afspring 27 in- -terposed between opposite cup-shaped washers 28 and 29.bearing respectively against the supporting 'bracket and a projecting pin on the rod whereby these cooperating springactuated rods will serve to quickly open and close the switch when moved beyond their longitudinal plane in either direction.

This is a conventional form of knife-switch and does not form an essential part of my invention, being illustrated to show one example of make and break device that may l be operated by the plug and socket members of my improved connecter. v

In carrying out my invention the socket member of the connecter is in the. form of a tubular casing 30 with a filling 31 of insulation material within the lower end thereof A through which pass the contact members or terminals 32 projecting block toreceive nuts .33 or connecting thereto the electric current conducters extending from the switch or make and break device. The upper portion of the contact member or terminal 32 that extends into the cavity ot the socket-member which receives the plug member is split, as usual, to provide a closer contact .with the cooperatingplugmember hereinafter described, and for the purpose of securely connecting each contactmember or terminal to the insulation block said contact member is reduced for a portion of its lower length, where it extends through said block, to provide a shoulder 32 bearing on the block and clamped thereagainst v by the nuts 331 `More particularly the-caslng is provided internally at one side with a wedge-shaped channel 34 in which slides an operating rod for opening and closing the switch and therefore is connected to the link 23, said switch -operating rod being actuated by the insertion of the plug-member into the socketmember and withdrawing it therefrom, for which urpose'the upper end of lsaid .rod is provided with a pivoted catch 36. It will be noted that the upper end of the -36' rod is cut away at its inner side for a short distance to provide a'shoulder 35* spaced frbm'the bill 36` lof the catch, and'that the u per end 'ofthe outer wall of the wedgeaped channel is cut away to provide an opening 37 through which the catch may swing out (see Fig. 4) when the rod is in its minals 40 to receive the terminals 32 in said socket-member and are embedded in a block .41 of insulation material extending from the bottom 'of the tube to near the upper end zthereof, the insulated wires 42 for conducting the electric current from the plugmember bein suitably securedin the upper ends of said' ollow contact-members 40. In the resent instancethere is provided near the lbwer end-of the tubular plug-member an outwardly projecting integral lug 43 shaped i cross-section to .correspond wlth the wedgeshaped channel 34 in the socket-member or below the filling the inner portion thereof in which it slides orv works, that isto say this lug works in the recess in the upper portion of the operating-rod 35 above the shoulder 35l between said shoulder and bill 36l of the catch carried "by the o rating rod,whereb it provides thc means or operating the ro and make and break device or swltch to which it is connected when the plug-member is pushed into the socket-member and withdrawn therefrom, it bein understood that the connection of the link 23 to the cross-bar of the throwswitch herein shown is insulated to protect said o erating-rod against current passing into t e same, in other words the electric lcurrent is carried through the connecter or into any parts thereof only by way of the terminals 32 and 40 of the socket-member and plu fmember respectively and these are thoroug y insulated from the other parts Afor the safe handling of the plug in the manipulation of the connecter.

- The operation of connecting .an electric current or currents by the improved form ofconnecter herein shown and described is similar to that of an ordinary plug and socket connection, but in the present instance when the plug-member is removed, sliding the rod 35 to its uppermost osition, the terminals 32 of the socket-mem er are dead and remain so until said plug-member is pushed well into the socket or nearly fullyv seated therein-the length of the cut away portion of the upper end of the operating-rod determining the extent to which the plug is inserted before it begins to operate said rod--thus removing any danger of the operator receiving a shock in the manipulation of the connecter inasmuch as the switch is not thrown to closed position for transmitting the current through the connected terminals until the arts of the connecter are assembled. It wi l be obimA vious that on inserting the plug into the socket for operatin the sliding rod 35, with the catch 36 of t e latter swung outl in the position it assumes on the withdrawal of the plug, the lug 43 on the plu passes down the channel 34 at the inner si e of the reduced upper portion of .the operating-rod until it strlkes the'shoulder 35l and then pushes the rod downward for the operation of the switch the one shown 'in the drawings being operated by the link 23 and spring-actuated levers connected to the rod, although of course any other' form of switch or make and break device may be likewise operated by the operating-rod '35. This completes the connection andthe current passes through the connecter by wayof the Joined terminals 32 and 40. When the connection is broken by the .removal of the plug both terminals 32 and 40 become dead before the plu is moved to Vany appreciable extent in wit drawing thc same, in this instance the lug 43 engaging the catch to operate the rod and swinging it the rod being maintained in uppermost position bythe spring-actuated switch shown in the drawings or any other spring-actuated make and break device to which my improved electric connecter may be applied. In some instances it may be necessary to apply a spring for returning the rod to up ermost position directly to said rod, according to the make and break device preferred; in other Words I desire it to be understood that my improved connecter may be used with any desired form of electric circuit make and break device, not only for transmitting currents of high capacity by a throw-switch of the type shown in the drawings but also low capacity currents, as lighting circuits, and consequently the shape of the socket-member A may be varied, as Well as the size of the cooperating parts A and B, according to requirements with respect to their adaptability. Furthermore, the electric-switch or other form of circuit breaker may be designed for single pole or multiple and of course provided with overload protection either through the usual coil, relays, or fuses, in the latter instance the switch and fuses being mechanically interlocked, it preferred, to prevent replacement while the circuit is completed; such arrangements being in common use and obviously may be readily employed in association with 'lib titi

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for

my improved connecter which, as heretofore stated, may be also adapted for use in connection with a simple orm of make and break device connecting low capacity currents such as supplied to residences for lighting, operating household appliances, &c.

It will be apparent that modifications in the details of construction-of my improved connecter may be resorted to Without materially altering the pur ose of myl invention to rovide a plu an socket connecter in which the termina s are dead until the connection is practically made with the plug seated within the socket; for'example, the operating-rod could be modified to have the catch-member 36 an integral part thereof, but in this instance said integral catch would project beyond the outer end of the socketmember (the rod being made longer for the purpose) so that the projection on the plugmember couldbe moved into' engagement ltherewith by a lateral movement of said'plugmember before it is inscrit-'ed in the socketmember; or the same result could be obtained by enlarging the upper end of the cavity in the socket-member to permit of this lateral movement of the plug-member before it enages the reduced lower portion ofv said cavity, the length of the terminals 32 being such as to permit of this operation, all within the spirit and scope of my claims.

Iclaim:

1. In combination with a circuit breaker of a connecter comprising a socket-member and a plug-member having cooperating terminals, aspring-actuated rod slidable in a channel in one side of the socket-member 'and connected to the circuit breaker for operating the same, said rod having a recess at the mner side of the upper portion thereof having a shoulder at the lower end of said recess, and a catch'pivoted on the upper end of the rod and movable in and out of alignment with the aforementioned shoulder; together with a projection on the plug-member working in said recess to engage the shoulder at the lower end of the recess and catch at the upper end thereof for moving the rod when the plug-member is inserted in the socket-inem- 2. In combination with a circuit breaker of a connecter comprising a socket-member and a plug-member having cooperating terminals, a rod slidable in the socket-member and connected to the circuit breaker for operating the same and having a recess in one side forming a shoulder at the` lower end of said recess and a catch ivoted on the upper end of the rod and mova le laterally to bring thevbill of the catch in and out of alignment with the aforesaid shoulder; together with a projection on the plug-member Working in the recess to engage the shoulder and catch for operating the rod as the members of the connecter are connected and disconnected.

3. In combination with a circuit breaker of a connecter comprising a socket-member and a plug-member having cooperating terminals, a projection on the plug-member, a slidable rod in the socket-member connected to the circuit breaker and havin a yshoulder with which the projection on the plug-member engages to operate the rod in one direction on the insertion ofthe plug-member in the socket-member, and a pivoted member on the outer end of the rod above the aforementioned shoulder and movable in and out of alignment therewith and with which the projection on the plug-member engages to move the rod in the other direction on the removal of the plug-member from the socket- Imember- 4. In combination with' a circuit breaker of a connecter comprising a socket-member and a plug-member having cooperating-terminals, a projection on the plug-member,

ict

a circuit breaker operating rod slidable in a recess in the soc et-member and having a shoulder'with which the projection on the plug-member engages for moving said rod 1n one direction and a catch on the upper end of the rod above said shoulder and movable into and out ofy engagement with the projection on the plu -member, said projection engaging the cato to move the rod in the other direction.

iso

' 5.1 In combinationwith a circuit breaker A of a connecter comprising a socket-member .and a plug-member having cooperatin terminals, a projection on the plu -mem r, a

-circuit breaker o rating rod s idable in a i recess in the soc et-member and having a a connecter comprising a socket-member and i a glug-member having cooperating termina 5 a projection on the plug-member, a circuit breaker o rating rod slidable in a re-l cess in the soc et-member and having a reduced u per ortion forming a recess in one side wit a s ioulder at the ower end thereof, and a catch pivotedat the .upper end ofv l the reduced portion of the rod' to swing into andout of alinement with the recess, thepro- 'jection on the plug-member working in the d recess to alternatel engage the shou er andy catch as the mem rs o? the connecter `are connected and disconnected.

i 7. In combination with'a circuit breaker of a connecter comprising a socket-member and a plug-member having cooperating terminals the socket-member having a vertical wedge-shape recesslin one side thereof, a

` circuit breaker .o rating rod wed e-shape in cross-section an slidable in the a oresaid recess and having a reduced upper portion forming a recess atthe inner side of the rod with a shoulder at the lower end of the recess, and a Icatch ivoted to the upper end of the reduced portion of the rod to swing into and out of alinementwith the recess in the rod gether with a projection on the plu -member working-in the recess in the rod to a tei'natelyv engage the aforesaid shoulder and catch on said rod.

i CARL FISCHER.

inthe uppermost position'of the rod; together I with 'a projection on the' plu -member working in the recess in the rod to aIternately engage the shoulder and catch as the members of the connecter are connected and disconnected. 1

8; In combination with a circuit breaker 'ofa connecter comprising a socket-member and a plug-member having cooperating tern duced portion of the minals,'the socket-member havin a vertical Wedge-shape. recess in one side .t ereof with mem circuit breaker operatiiiv rod wedge-shape in `cross-section for slidab e movement in the i I aforesaid recess inthe socket-member and having a reduced upper portion-"formin a recess at the nnerside of the rod wit a .shoulder at the lower end of the' recess, andl a catch' pivotedto the -u per end of the reand having a bill 4proecting into alinem'ent with the recess in sai rod, said catch being movable into the openin through the side of the' socket-member iii e uppermost position of the rod; to

an opning through the side of the socket- 1f I r at the upper end of said recess, a 

